Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Facilitator Question

  What do you hope to accomplish during your time here at Clemson?

• Fast Stats

  It’s important to frame this conversation by saying that we recognize that not everyone drinks or will choose to drink. Specifically, 39.7% of students at Clemson reported never drinking alcohol in the past two weeks (NCHA, 2022).

  They may not drink because they are not 21 years of age, health concerns, or personal or cultural values and beliefs.

   

   

Waiting to Turn 21 to Drink

• Facilitator Questions

  • What are reasons students under 21 choose to drink?

  • What are reasons college students choose not to drink or choose to wait until the age of 21?

  • How could drinking before the legal age affect a college student's health?

  • How could drinking before the legal age affect a college student's educational experience and overall safety?

• Mental Health
  Those who wait until age 21 to begin drinking have improved long and short-term cognitive skills, including decision-making and memory formation ability.
• Emotional Health
  Those who wait are less likely to have self-esteem issues as well as mental health conditions such as alcoholism, depression, stress and risk of suicide.
• Educational Impacts
  Those who wait are more likely to have higher academic performance. Choosing not to drink could contribute to more time invested into schoolwork.
• Safety Issues

  Underage alcohol consumption can contribute to risky behaviors leading to harming oneself or others. On average, about 4,000 people under the age of 21 die due to alcohol-related injuries each year (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2016). Driving safety may be compromised for those who begin drinking before 21.

  • For drivers ages 16–20, a car accident is 17 times more likely occur when the driver is legally intoxicated than when they are sober (Johns Hopkins, 2016).

  • Regardless of age, drinking and driving is never okay. It is important to always identify a designated driver. This is someone who is not under the influence of any type of alcohol or drug.

Alcohol Consumption and Effects on the Body

• Blood Alcohol Concentration Level

  BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Concentration. The four main factors that affect an individual’s BAC are gender, weight, amount of alcohol consumed and the amount of time it has been consumed in.

  There are physiological differences between men and women in the way that they process alcohol in their body. Even if they consumed the same amount, men and women’s BAC will differ because of the body’s ability to dilute and metabolize alcohol, as well as hormonal factors. Binge drinking typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks or women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.

  
  BAC – Men vs Women
  
  

  National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2004). NIAA council approves definition of binge drinking. Retrieved from URL

• Standard Drink Sizes

  The body can process about one standard drink per hour.

  The amount of liquid in your glass, can or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink. Different types of beer, wine or malt liquor can have very different amounts of alcohol content. In the United States, one "standard" drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in:

  • 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol

  • 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol

  • 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol

  
  What Is A Standard Drink?
• Point of Diminishing Return

  There is a cultural myth that the more alcohol you consume, the better one will feel. It is actually the opposite. Alcohol can create a relaxed feeling; there is a point in which the body begins to feel a downward effect. This is called the point of diminishing return, which is a BAC of 0.06.

  When you pass a 0.06 BAC level, negative effects begin. These symptoms include fatigue, impaired sexual performance, inappropriate social behavior and over-expressed emotions. More is not always better.

  
  Blood Alcohol Calculator

• Alcohol Poisoning

  Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (which prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions.

  It is common for someone who drank excessive alcohol to vomit since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. There is then the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is not conscious because of intoxication.

  You should also know that a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) could continue to rise even while he or she is passed out. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. It is dangerous to assume the person will be fine by sleeping it off.

  Critical Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

  • Mental confusion, stupor, coma or person cannot be roused

  • Vomiting

  • Seizures

  • Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)

  • Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)

  • Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

  What to Do if You Suspect Someone Has Alcohol Poisoning

  • Know the danger signals.

  • Do not wait for all symptoms to be present.

  • Be aware that a person who has passed out may die.

  • If there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help. Don't try to guess the level of drunkenness.

  Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. Our first priority is the safety of our students. If you think a friend might have alcohol poisoning, please get help. The Clemson University Police Department (864-656-2222) or 911 are the quickest resources to help a friend in need.

  
  Blood Alcohol Calculator
  
  

  Facts About Alcohol Poisoning. (n.d.). Retrieved from URL

• Risk Reduction Behaviors

  • Alternate alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks (water or even fizzy water that looks like a drink to take pressure off of not drinking)

  • Stay with the same group of friends the entire time of drinking

  • Choose not to drink alcohol

  • Take an intoxicated friend’s keys

  • Don’t drive/use a designated driver (Aspire to Be Safe - Use the Safety section of the my.Clemson app)

  • Avoid drinking games

  • Pace drinks to one or fewer an hour

  • Do not accept an open container of alcohol

  • Plan your way home before you go out

• Medical Amnesty Policy

  Make no mistake about it: alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. Our first priority is the safety of our students. If you think a friend might have alcohol poisoning, please get help. The Clemson University Police Department (864-656-2222) or 911 are the quickest resources to help a friend in need.

  Clemson University has a Medical Amnesty Policy (MAP) that provides amnesty for students who need medical attention as well as the students who make the call for help. Those students who utilize MAAP will be contacted by someone from the Office of Advocacy and Success to ensure that they have the resources they need in order to be a successful Clemson student.

  Clemson also has a CARE Network in place to help students experiencing difficulties. If you feel a friend has a problem with drugs or alcohol and it is not an emergency, you can submit a CARE Network Referral Form or contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 864-656-2451. These and other resources are available on the go in the Safety section of the my.Clemson app.

  Remember: Dont worry about the consequences of helping someone. We're all Clemson Tigers. Look out for one another.

  
  Office of Community and Ethical Standards
• Other Drug Use

  The three big points you need to know about Clemson University and drug use are as follows:

  A Leading Cause of Death

  Deaths from drug overdose have been rising steadily over the past two decades and have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States.

  More DEATHS from accidental drug overdose than car accidents

  Dangerous Interactions

  The danger is that many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs, especially when mixed with alcohol, have synergistic effect. For example, prescription pain relievers and alcohol both slow breathing. By ingesting too much of both, someone can literally stop breathing. Read the labels and check with the pharmacist before combining any medications and/or drugs.

  Unknown Substance

  These drugs are not regulated by the FDA; therefore, there is no way to know what is actually in them. Remember, if you do not know what is in it or the concentration, neither will the emergency medical personnel.

• Cannabis

  Street Names:  dope, ganja, grass, herb, mary jane, pot, reefer, weed, 420

  It’s not just one drug, like cocaine, that students have misperceptions around; it's most of them. Only 23.8% percent of Clemson students reported that they are current users of cannabis in the past 3 months (NCHA, 2022).

  Cannabis has both short and long term effects on the brain. Short term effects include impaired body movement, difficulty thinking or problem solving, and impaired memory. Long term effects include brain development and loss up to 8 IQ points that may be permanent. In addition to the effects cannabis has on your brain, it can have physical effects on the body:

  • Breathing problems – frequent cannabis users can develop the same breathing problems tobacco users have (daily cough and phlegm, lung illnesses, higher risk of lung infection)

  • Increased heart rate – raises heart rate up to 3 hours after smoking; increased chance of heart attack

  • Problems with child development during and after pregnancy

  How Cannabis Can Impact Your Life

  • Lower life satisfaction

  • Poorer mental health

  • Poorer physical health

  • More relationship problems

  Regardless of your stance on the legalization of cannabis, it is illegal in the state of South Carolina and therefore an illegal drug on campus. It will be treated as an illegal substance in disciplinary action. 

  
  

  DrugFacts: Marijuana. (n.d.). Retrieved from URL

• Prescription Drug Abuse

  Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor, such as for the feelings you get from the drug.

  The classes of prescription drugs most commonly abused are: opioid pain relievers, such as Vicodin or Oxycontin; stimulants for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall, Concerta or Ritalin; and central nervous system (CNS) depressants for relieving anxiety, such as Valium or Xanax. The most commonly abused over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are cough and cold remedies containing dextromethorphan.

  People often think that prescription and OTC drugs are safer than illicit drugs, but that’s only true when they are taken exactly as prescribed and for the purpose intended. When abused, prescription and OTC drugs can be addictive and put abusers at risk for other adverse health effects, including overdose—especially when taken along with other drugs or alcohol.

  
  

  DrugFacts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications. (n.d.). Retrieved from URL

• Fentanyl

  Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50-100 times stronger. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery (USDHHS, 2021).

  • Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are now the most common drug involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States (CDC, 2022).
  • From 2020-2021, opioid deaths in the United States increased by 15%, and Fentanyl was primarily responsible (CDC, 2022).
  • In 2020, 1,734 South Carolinians died of drug overdose. Of those deaths, 1,100 were due to fentanyl (DAODAS, 2020).

  Signs of Opioid Overdose (CDC)

  • Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
  • Falling asleep or loosing consciousness
  • Slow, weak or no breathing
  • Choking or gurgling sounds
  • Limp body
  • Cold and/or clammy skin
  • Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)

  How to Use Bystander Intervention in a Drug Overdose Situation

  • If you suspect someone is experiencing an overdose, please contact emergency medical services (911) immediately!
  • Become educated on the uses of Narcan, and consider carrying this product with you to use in the case you discover a person has overdosed.
    • Naloxone, sold under the brand names Narcan among others, is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. It is commonly used to counter decreased breathing in opioid overdose. Effects begin within two minutes when given intravenously, and within five minutes when injected into a muscle.
    • Please contact CAPS, CUPD or the South Carolina Harm Reeducation Coalition for more information on Narcan.

  
  Naloxone (Narcan®) Availability & Opioid Emergency Kits
• Tobacco-Free Campus Policy

  Clemson University is a tobacco-free institution. No smoking or other use of Tobacco Products is permitted on University Property. This policy is intended to discourage tobacco use and includes a ban on selling, free sampling or littering of any and all Tobacco Products on University Property. This includes JUULs and other vape pens or e-cigarettes.

  
  Tobacco-Free Campus
• How to Get Help

  Clemson All-In Recovery (CAIR)
  A student organization aiming to support students interested in recovery from addictions, allies of recovery and/or anyone affected by addiction.

  eCHECKUP TO GO
  eCHECKUP TO GO is 20-minute, interactive web program that provides a more comprehensive overview of behaviors and the choices you make in terms of your alcohol and drug use. This assessment will increase your awareness about the impact your substance use has on your thoughts, financial standing, health and overall performance. It is self-guided – making it quick, confidential and flexible.

  Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
  864-656-2451
  CAPS is located in Redfern Health Center and is the University's only facility for personal counseling, psychological testing, outreach and consultation. An after-hours counselor is available and can be reached by calling CAPS and selecting option 2 from the menu.

  CARE Network 
  While students on Clemson’s campus deal with many challenging situations every day, the CARE Network is designed to track those incidents that are deemed “critical” and/or which may indicate unusual or harmful student behavior or trends.

  Medical Alcohol Policy (MAP)

  Clemson University Police Department (CUPD)

  Additional Resources on Alcohol and Other Drugs